Freezing

Version 0.29: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

The freezing brand deals an average of +25% cold damage, anywhere from 0% - 50% more per swing, before being reduced proportionally by cold resistance. This damage is applied after AC. Although less effective against creatures with cold resistance, it can devastate anything vulnerable to cold.

This brand also can slow down cold-blooded monsters, so long as they are not resistant to cold. This makes freezing weapons extremely useful for dealing with the draconian hordes encountered in the Realm of Zot.

As freezing applies its percentage boost after AC reduction, it is no better or worse when considering strength, weapon type, slaying, or AC. An executioner's axe of freezing receives the same +25% boost to final damage as a quickblade of freezing. It's just that a quickblade of electrocution or pain may be stronger, as said brands deal flat damage per swing.

Sources

Along with simply finding freezing weapons as randomly generated loot, there are a few sources guaranteed to generate them. Frost giants always carry freezing battleaxes. In ice caves there are often freezing weapons. Fannar always comes with a staff of cold, or a quarterstaff of freezing. Wights frequently carry weapons of freezing. Otherwise, reading a scroll of brand weapon has a good chance to apply the freezing brand to your weapon.

History

Prior to 0.15, unbranded weapon could be temporarily given this brand with the level 2 spell Freezing Aura. This temporary brand could be made permanent by reading a scroll of vorpalise weapon.